Netball World Cup 2015: Diamonds star Julie Corletto's painful secret

By Linda Pearce

Updated17 August 2015 — 11:13amfirst published at 10:46am

As her Diamonds teammates lauded Julie Corletto's courage and tenacity during the last few years of her injury-plagued career, the triple world champion's painful secret can now be revealed: it is believed Corletto played through the second half of Sunday's Netball World Cup final with a broken foot.

Having spent the month before the tournament with her left foot in a moon boot to treat what is now understood to have been a stress fracture, the break apparently occurred during the second quarter of the 58-55 win over New Zealand that completed an Australian hat-trick of titles.

Julie Corletto (right) of the Diamonds celebrates with Natalie Medhurst (left) after the final.Credit:Getty Images

Corletto thanked the Diamonds' medical staff in the emotional aftermath of the victory, which came in the 28-year-old's 52nd and last Test. "They were doing absolutely everything they could, and as you see I'm pretty much broken now," said Corletto, who, it seems, truly was.

Long-time teammate Nat Medhurst was among those to pay tribute to the brave and brilliant goal defence after what coach Lisa Alexander described as an "amazing" effort against key Silver Ferns shooter Maria Tutaia.

"To see what she has done to be able to get through this tournament, let alone the entire year, and even last year I think it puts a lot of things into perspective: how she's the most hard-working and committed athlete I've seen and if you guys had any idea of what she goes through, you wouldn't believe it," Medhurst said of Corletto. "I just think it's a testament to her to be able to go out in that way."

Captain Laura Geitz also hailed her "warrior" teammate, who has suffered chronic knee and foot injuries for much of her career. "I don't think any of you sitting here understands just what this girl puts herself through to be out on court and what she brings to the team, and she inspires every single person that wears the green and gold and she just deserves all the success," Geitz said.

Corletto will move to the UK, where her husband Daryl has signed to play with British Basketball League team Plymouth Raiders.